Virtual team of professionals will provide counselling and support for patients

Canadian pharmacy giant Shoppers Drug Mart has launched an online platform for the sale of medical cannabis. “As trusted medication experts, pharmacists have an important role to play in the safe and informed use of medical cannabis. Today's announcement is a leap forward for those looking for professional oversight and trusted support in this area,”…

Ryan DeLuca of the Calgary Real Estate Board talks about what a buyer can ask and what a seller must disclose about pot

Ryan DeLuca is supervisor of training and compliance, member practice, with the Calgary Real Estate Board. What are the biggest potential impacts to the residential housing market of the legalization of cannabis? DeLuca: For some buyers, cannabis cultivation in a property may affect their ability to secure financing or homeowner’s insurance on that property. Some…

Provinces and municipalities face a bevy of expenses and a web of regulations. And the tax benefits at all levels are questionable

You might wonder how legislators could lose money by legalizing and taxing an addictive substance. Behold, Canadian officials have outdone themselves with the rollout of recreational cannabis. Provinces and municipalities, many already in financial dire straits, have revealed a bevy of legalization costs. Meanwhile, tax projections suggest relatively slim pickings, given the size of the…

Pot’s benefits have been overstated by political advocates and scientists, whose bias may have tainted research results

Marijuana users want society to believe the very thing they’ve told themselves for years – that the highs of marijuana far outweigh its lows when it comes to health and the effect on the masses. Informed minds that remain sober and less tainted by personal bias realize that’s probably not the case. Cannabis is demonstrably…

Detachments want to present their priorities for the year, including crime prevention and traffic safety strategies

Kenneth Brown of The Crossroads Rural RCMP detachments across the province have been mandated to hold town hall meetings and town halls in the region have either been held or will be held. The Kindersley RCMP detachment is holding a series of town hall meetings in its three main communities, but anybody from the area…

The cannabis industry in Canada was estimated at $3 billion in 2017, on par with the beer industry and larger than tobacco

With the legalization of cannabis taking effect today, Statistics Canada released some interesting data about the industry and the use of the substance. Here are some of the numbers from StatsCan: The latest National Cannabis Survey results for the third quarter of 2018 indicated about 4.6 million or 15 per cent of Canadians aged 15…

How marijuana use is reflected in attendance, participation, dropout and failure rates could make a persuasive story

With the exception of those people who smoke marijuana for medical purposes, I haven’t met many people who were improved by smoking up. In my experience with marijuana – and I admit my experience is limited to the second-hand variety – the stereotype of the bored and boring toker rings true. I’m among the few…

On Oct. 17, smoking cannabis will become legal in Canada. Cannabis edibles, on the other hand, will be legal in a little less than a year. Once cannabis-infused food products are available, things will get complicated in Canada’s food industry. But with the right regulations, this is a profit opportunity that doesn’t come by every…

Focus on policing priorities for 2018, including cannabis strategies and rural crime

Kenneth Brown of The Crossroads Public consultation has become a priority for the RCMP in Saskatchewan and the Kindersley RCMP has wrapped up town hall meetings in its three largest communities. The Kindersley RCMP held three town hall meetings in February and March starting with a town hall on Feb. 27 in Kindersley. The police…

Kenneth Brown of The Crossroads The Kindersley RCMP is holding a series of town hall meetings and the discussion will focus on the detachment’s policing priorities for 2018-19. People are invited to attend upcoming town hall meetings at the Prairieland Community Centre in Kerrobert on March 21 or at the AGT Community Centre in Eston…